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Infant responsiveness, alertness, haemoglobin and growth in rural Sidama, Ethiopia

Nicki L Aubuchon-Endsley1, Stephanie L Grant, David G Thomas

  • 1Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA Department of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA Institute of Nutrition, Food Science, and Technologies, Hawassa University, Awassa, Ethiopia Department of Human Development & Family Science, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA.

Maternal & Child Nutrition
|January 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Infant nutrition and behavior are linked. Early weight-for-age and hemoglobin levels in Ethiopian infants predicted later alertness and responsiveness, highlighting bidirectional relationships.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional science
  • Developmental psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Existing research often examines single nutrients' effects on infant behavior.
  • The bidirectional relationship between infant behavior (alertness, responsiveness) and nutritional status is understudied.
  • Few studies explore how early infant behavior influences growth.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between nutritional status and infant behavior (alertness, responsiveness) in Ethiopian infants.
  • To examine the influence of early anthropometrics and hemoglobin on later behavior.
  • To explore the impact of early behavior on subsequent growth.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of Ethiopian infants at 6 and 9 months.
  • Assessed anthropometrics (weight-for-age) and hemoglobin levels.
  • Measured frequency of alertness and responsiveness using an adapted Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery.

Main Results:

  • Six-month weight-for-age predicted 9-month alertness frequency.
  • Six-month hemoglobin predicted 9-month responsiveness frequency.
  • Infants who were non-responsive at 6 months remained so at 9 months, despite converging weight-for-age.

Conclusions:

  • Supports a bidirectional relationship between nutrition and infant behavior (alertness, responsiveness).
  • Highlights the predictive value of nutritional indicators for behavioral development.
  • Suggests the adapted Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery is a useful tool for evaluating these relations in Ethiopia.

Keywords:
alertnessdevelopmenthaemoglobininfant growthinternational nutritionresponsiveness

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